Dynamic behavior of an ammonia-water absorption system was investigated numerically. Thermal-hydraulic model for a single-effect 3 RT chiller was developed by applying transient conservation equations of total mass, $NH_3$ mass, energy and momentum to each component. Transient variations of system properties and transport variables were analysed during start-up operation. Numerical analyses were performed to quantify the effects of bulk concentration and charging ratio on the system performance in terms of cooling capacity, coefficient of performance, and time constant of system. For an absorption chiller considered in the present study, optimum charging ratio and bulk concentration were to found to exist, which resulted in the maximum cooling capacity and COP. The time constant increased as the charging ratio increased, but decreased with the increase of bulk concentration.